1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic temperature control device used for automatic analysis accompanied with a chemical reaction in the field of clinical medicine, biochemistry and pharmaceutics or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In analysis accompanied with a chemical reaction in the field of clinical medicine, biochemistry and pharmaceutics or the like, there is a need for the control of temperature of a mixture of samples and reagents or the like for a certain period of time at a predetermined temperature for allowing the samples to react with the reagents or the like. On the other hand, a vessel such as a micro plate equipped with a plurality of wells, for instance, is used for allowing a plurality of samples to react with the reagents or the like. For that reason, the vessel such as the micro plate needs to be subjected to the control of temperature.
In the prior art, the temperature of the vessel is controlled manually. Such temperature control is performed, for instance, by a method of pivoting manually a cover adopting a pivoting mechanism such as a hinge to put a vessel in a reaction chamber of a temperature control device for the control of temperature for a certain period of time after heating the reaction chamber up to a predetermined temperature with a heating means such as a heater, and thereafter opening the cover manually again to take out the vessel from the reaction chamber.
Since the temperature control device in the prior art requires the manual operations for pivoting the cover and also for making the vessel to enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber, these manual operations present a problem for the automation of the temperature control device.
The pivoting mechanism such as the hinge for pivoting the cover of the reaction chamber and a link mechanism or the like for making the vessel to enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber are considered to be available for the automation of the temperature control device. However, since both the mechanism for pivoting the cover and the mechanism for making the vessel to enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber are required for the automation, there is a need for a complicated mechanism, resulting in an increase in device size.
Further, since the reaction chamber is exposed to the outside air when the cover is opened through the hinge, the temperature in the reaction chamber varies every pivoting operation of the cover, resulting in a difficulty in maintaining the inside of the reaction chamber at a predetermined temperature. Besides, once a drop in temperature occurs, it takes time for heating, resulting in a problem of the need for longer time for analysis.
It is an object of the present invention to automate a temperature control device, more specifically, to automate the operation of making a vessel to enter or withdraw from a reaction chamber held in a tightly closed-up state.
The present invention is to automate the operation of making a vessel to enter or withdraw from a reaction chamber held in a tightly closed-up state by making it possible to pivot a cover and also make the vessel to enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber in one operation. This automation is realized by allowing a tray for supporting the vessel to move slidably in linkage with the pivotal motion of the cover, enabling the cover to close and open and also the vessel to enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber in one operation.
To realize the automation, an automatic temperature control device according to the present invention comprises a reaction chamber for housing a vessel, a tray for supporting the vessel, a temperature control part for controlling the temperature at least in the reaction chamber, a transfer means for moving slidably the tray such that the tray may freely enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber, a first cover part for closing up the reaction chamber tightly when the tray is made to enter the reaction chamber by the transfer means, a second cover part for closing up the reaction chamber tightly when the tray is made to withdraw from the reaction chamber by the transfer means, and a holding part for holding the second cover part in a tightly closed-up state.
The transfer means slides the tray relatively to the reaction chamber such that the vessel supported with the tray may freely enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber, while moving the first and second cover parts for closing up tightly and opening the reaction chamber.
When making the vessel to enter the reaction chamber, the tray is caused to move into the reaction chamber and also the reaction chamber is closed up tightly with the first cover part. On the other hand, when making the vessel to withdraw from the reaction chamber, the tray is caused to move from the reaction chamber and also the reaction chamber is closed up tightly with the second cover part.
The holding part moves the second cover part in linkage with withdrawal of the tray, and besides, holds the reaction chamber in the tightly closed-up state irrespectively of the location of the tray in the absence of the vessel. The holding part may be composed of a first magnet and a second magnet both provided on the second cover part side. The first magnet is adapted to attract the end of the vessel for the linkage with withdrawal of the tray, while the second magnet is adapted to attract the opposite inner wall part of the automatic temperature control device for holding the second cover part in the tightly closed-up state.
According to the present invention, the automation of the temperature control device is realized by allowing the tray for supporting the vessel to move slidably in linkage with the pivotal motion of the cover, enabling the cover to close and open and also the vessel to enter or withdraw from the reaction chamber in one operation.